The Drama Isn't Over 2-0
by AnyfriendofMike's
Summary: REWRITTEN: The fourth season is over, but the drama isn't. What's gonna happen to Scott, who is still trying to adjust to life in his chair? What about Mike and Zoey, whose daily lives include dodging bullies, staying together, and the simple act of staying alive? What about Dawn, who's trying to cope with her parents' constant fighting? Couples are Dott, Zoke, and Samkota later on
1. Chapter 1: So This Is The Intro(?)

_**I bet you're really confused. Just give me a chance to explain!**_

_** The Drama Isn't Over. Total Drama; Back for More. I am honestly ashamed of these stories. I found them to be lazily written, unrealistic, and way too rushed. And yet, they were the first stories I'd ever done; I can't just delete them! Also, a lot of people have been reviewing and favoriting them (for some reason).**_

_** So, here we are. Fun fact: it's been a whole year since I joined this site. I just wanna thank you all for all the encouragement, the reviews, and the unforgettable friendships I've made this year. You guys rock! **_

_** Well, let's start this thing! I probably will be updating this regularly, just not as frequently as I did when I started. S-Schoolwork… Uh…. Stress…. I'm lazy, okay?! My computer is as slow as crap because I don't have a protection plan! (Always use protection, kids!) I usually blog/Pm/read fanfiction/everything else from my IPod so….. Wait- what am I talking about…? **_

_**Disclaimer- I do not own Total Drama in any way. You dig?**_

_"What's the deal, eh?!" _

"Vito, I'm not going to go to the club tonight and that is final!" Mike said firmly.

_ "Hey, yo! I'm not gonna do anythin' bad! Jus' maybe get a couple'a drinks, do some dancin', pick up a few chicks-"_

"No Vito, I'm not gonna cheat on my girlfriend just because you're bored!" Mike argued.

_ "Who, red? Aw, she'll never know! Besides, that girl is the ugliest-"_

"Y'know, you're not exactly winning me over right now."

"_Oh ho! He's got ya there, mate!_"

_"Aw, shut up Manitoba! Eh, how's that wife of yours?"_

"_You wanna fight about it, mate?!"_

"Guys!" Mike exclaimed.

"_Oy, Vito, our host is talkin. Go on, mate, tell Vito to shut it. Go on then!"_

"Guys! Just stop it, will you?!" Mike didn't get an answer to this one; just silence. He assumed that, for once, his alters were going to listen to him.

Mike is not your average teenager. For one thing, he's practically a star! He participated in the fourth season of Total Drama; Total Drama Revenge of the Island. You'd think he was adored by everyone in town, right? Ha ha, _**WRONG! (1)**_Even though he was on TV, he was still a victim of bullying, a situation that had only gotten worse when he got back home from the show.

Now, you might be wondering why this was so. Well, Mike has Dissociative Identity Disorder, or, in simpler terms, Multiple Personality Disorder. He has four main alters; Chester, Svetlana, Manitoba, and Vito. Through his run on Total Drama, he'd tried to hide his disorder. His lies almost cost him his relationship with his girlfriend, Zoey. But when the truth came out, he found himself with new amazing friends and a weight off of his shoulders.

"Gah! I'm gonna be late!" Mike exclaimed, catching sight of the clock that read 7:00. He only had 30 minutes to get to school on time, so he raced to pull on his shoes and burst out the front door.

* * *

"How many times do I have to tell you to actually come home?!" Dawn heard her mother yell at her father.

"I told you, I was working late!" Dawn's father snapped.

"Working, huh?! WORKING?"

"Yes, WORKING! WHAT, DO YOU WANT MY BOSS TO BE UP MY ASS?!"

"WHAT'S THAT IN YOUR POCKET?!"

There was a pause, then-

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

"JUST- JUST FUCK OFF!" Came Dawn's father's angry reply. As if it were scripted, Dawn heard the front door slam and her mother crying. It was now 7:30, but Dawn had no intension of going to school. Instead, she went into her backyard to meditate.

Perched in her sanctuary, (built by her uncle many years before) Dawn experienced a much more peaceful setting. Her parents had been fighting more and more lately. Being out there with the birds chirping and her animal friends surrounding her took her mind off of it all. It only she could live out in nature…Oh but her family needed her! Their auras suggested they would miss her terribly and drift further apart.

This serenity was perfect. Dawn really felt at peace. But something was different. This was wrong. Was it supposed to feel like the world was suddenly melting away? Dawn felt horribly uncomfortable, but decided not to break the connection.

It was as if a film was flickering on the inside of her eyelids.

_ Dawn. Help me!_

That voice…it was familiar.

_Please! I can't take it anymore! _

Was that…? No…It can't be…

_I'm sorry! Do you hear me? I'm sorry! _

Unbelievable….

_I'm sorry! I should've been nicer! I shouldn't have done the things I did! I swear! I admit; I went too far! I went too far, okay?! I crossed a line! But I don't deserve this! No one does! But all I ask of you is your forgiveness! I could live a thousand lifetimes and not deserve it, I know. But please! I don't care about anyone else, your forgiveness would mean the world to me!_

"But why?!" Dawn burst out. She looked around at the trees and squirrels. The voice was gone. She'd broken the connection. Desperately, she tried to forge it once more, but failed. She knew the voice, but the words… He'd never say them…but the words didn't seem hollow at all. He meant it.

"I…forgive you," she took a deep breath. "…Scott…"

* * *

"Scotty, can I get you anything else?" Scott's mama asked politely. "Beep once for yes, twice for no."

_Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep._

"Now Scott, don't be difficult!"

_Beep beep beep beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeep!_

Just then, Scott's sister, Alberta, walked into the kitchen. "Hey fags," she greeted. **(2)**

Mama's mouth pressed into a thin line.

"Young lady-" she started.

"Yeah yeah, I've heard the lecture before!" Alberta groaned. She raised her voice to mimic her mama's. "_Young lady, we do not use that type of language on this farm! Have you fed the hog's yet?! Well who's gonna do it, your cousins?! You know they don't do dirt!"_

'_Heh heh,' Scott thought. 'She's got that voice down pat!'_ He gave a beep of approval.

Alberta strode over to her brother. "_Why, look at those handsome wheels! You're as handsome as a mechanical bull, now aren't ya? I'd bet my overalls you're Scott Reed, the evil mastermind from Total Drama Revenge of the Island, huh? That bitch Zoey, how could she do this to you?"_

Mama doubled over laughing. "That spoiled brat! Can't take being apart from her boyfriend for a little while? Now how far do she and that Mike guy live from each other again? Hm? Halfway across the world? Those Total Drama gals were crazy! Did ya see Dawn?! What a loony!"

"Loony Lovegood!" Alberta shrieked. **(3)**

"Oh, I'm glad you got rid of her, Scotty. I was mighty proud, I was. Proud, but not surprised," Mama added.

"Look, he's turning red!" Alberta cried.

It was true. Though he couldn't talk, his paralyzed face sometimes gave his mood away. His face was indeed red, but not because he was pleased at these comments. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to defend her.

Ever since the finale, Scott had been having strange thoughts. He no longer focused on his farm. No, his mind kept wandering to his competitors.

'_Competitors…' Scott thought bitterly. 'I didn't make a single friend on that stupid island. I wish I had; they might've shared their portion of that twerp Cameron's prize money.'_

Scott was still in disbelief that Cameron had left him out of his promise to spend the money on the cast. He was already stuck in a chair for the time being, wasn't that punishment enough?! It was unbearable to watch the others collect their money. They got a bigger chunk since he wasn't included. Hey, more for them, right? And they called him selfish. It was just like the times Scott watched the kids from his town make their way to the "party of the year" with their little friends from his favorite spot in the barn wondering why he hadn't gotten an invitation.

But the only person who looked a little sorry for Scott was Dawn. He saw it in her eyes when they had passed each other in the halls of the playa. For a second, it seemed as though she was going to say something to him, but apparently thought better of it. Looking back, he wished he hadn't been so harsh on her with her elimination. But hey, he was playing the game. She was a threat, she had to go down. Pappy was watching back home. Along with Mama, Alberta, and all the cousins. Couldn't let them down. Still, it would've been nice to return home with a girl on his arm.

'_Whoa, what the heck?! Where did that thought come from?!' Scott wondered, glad for once that he couldn't speak. "I don't like Dawn! I CAN'T like Dawn! She's creepy, she's insane, she's nosy, she's beautiful- GAAAH! Maybe I'M the one who's insane!"_

See? Scott was so confused. What was making him think so differently?! Was it the fact that being in his chair gave him lots of time to think? Yes, that's it, it was the chair. It was just that blasted chair changing everything. Scott was still Scott. Right?

"Hey, Cart, I said bye!" Alberta said, waving her hand in front of her brother's still face. A backpack slung over her shoulders that she must've gotten while he was in such deep thoughts.

_Beep._

"That's better!" she smirked. Then, she turned on her heel and strode off.

"Well Scotty, I'll be back soon," Mama said, grabbing her coat and heading off as well.

Even though Mama's company could get quite annoying, Scott wished she hadn't left. The house was so empty with only Scott and his thoughts in it.

The front door slammed shut and Scott was alone.

* * *

"Mr. Smith, you are late," the teacher informed Mike as he burst into the room.

"S…Sorry….ran as fast as I c-could…missed…missed bus…" Mike puffed, his hands on his knees. He didn't really care that he was late; he was concentrating on getting air back into his lungs.

"Sorry doesn't cut it! Sorry doesn't pay the bills!" The teacher (Who we'll call Ms. Green) said sternly. She then delivered the speech about things being harder in the real world, and how people are unforgiving to tardiness.

Throughout the rest of the day, Mike struggled to pay attention as his teacher droned on about boring details. He'd much rather think about his friends than some war that happened centuries ago. Like, who cares?! Who cares who shot the most people in some war? How would that help them?! Why was this a class?!

At lunch, Mike sat with the one person he'd managed to make friends with. He, much like Mike, was an outcast. The year before, they realized that outcasts had to stick together and got along quite well since. His friend, Seth, was a strange guy. His eyes held a vacant look, as if the life had been sucked out of them. These eyes were a dull grey. Many kids were creeped out by them. To take things to a different level, Seth usually chose to dress in the same black jeans and black jacket over a grey tank top. His hair, of course, was also black and rather messy. Though, it wasn't quite as messy as Mike's. On Seth's wrist was a checkered bracelet. **(4)** Around his neck was a silver chain with a silver disk hanging from it.

"So Seth, what was Mr. Sawyer going on about in science?" Mike asked, taking a bite from his hamburger.

Seth chuckled. "Shit man, I was about to ask you the same thing!"

"Sorry, my mind was on other things."

"Like what?" Seth prompted.

"Like…Cameron…and Brick and Zoey…I miss them. They were so cool about my disorder! I mean, look at everyone in this cafeteria! They condemned me at first mention of my disorder! Zoey, Cam, and Brick…they didn't care. They liked me for me," Mike explained while Seth listen patiently. "I mean, I'm so glad-"

Mike's head suddenly smashed forward into his tray.

'_What's happening…?' Mike wondered groggily._

That's when Mike heard amused laughter and Seth's yelp of surprise.

'_Jordan__…' Mike thought darkly._

Though Mike was bullied by pretty much everyone, (teachers included) Jordan and his gang were a force of never ending torture for him. Jordan's cronies, Adam, Peter, and Noland were just as nasty as their leader. They were the ones who held his arms behind him while punch after punch slammed into his flesh. Mike couldn't even count the number of bruises they'd given him. And it looked like they had just shoved his face into his tray.

Mike could picture their positions before he even looked up. Jordan would be in front, laughing his head off, while Adam stood off to his right with Noland and Peter to his left. And he was right.

"Uh, been eating long?!" Jordan joked, bursting into another round of laughter.

"Just shut up!" Seth shouted.

"Ooooh…." Jordan said, amused. "I believe Dead Eyes over here just stood up for Freakshow. Touching!"

"At least I have real friends!" Mike retorted. "Not like the fake ones you've got."

"Um, last time I checked, you don't have friends at all," Jordan said, rolling his eyes. "And for your information, my friends are loyal. Also, I made my friends with my sheer force of awesomeness."

"Big talk for the guy who took his cousin to the dance last year…" Seth accused.

Jordan turned red. "She…She was only my third cousin!" he cried as he stormed off.

"Whoa…how did you know she was his cousin…?" Mike asked his companion.

"…Y'know…I didn't…I was just bluffing…" Seth said in awe.

**Aaaand…..We'll stop there. So what'd ya think? Was it better than the first story? I hope so, otherwise I'm doing this rewrite for nothing…well, reviews are much appreciated!**

**Also, I'm going to list the references I used below. I figured I might as well start doing this rather than interrupting the story with Author's notes like I used to.**

**References:**

**(1): A line from the Krusty Krab Training Video**

**(2): Larxene's line from _Served_** **on Youtube ****by the one and only SpoonyChan**

**(3): it's kind of obvious, isn't it...?**

**(4): Just think of Roxas's bracelet**

**Well, until next time, peace out and fuck the blue sun! **


	2. Chapter 2: It's Payback Time

_**AnyfriendofMike's: *Clears throat* So...hi. I just wanna say...that I AM SO SORRY I DIDN'T CONTRIBUTE TO ZOKE WEEK! I MEANT TO, BUT SOMEHOW THE WEEK GOT AWAY FROM ME! Okay AnyfriendofMike's, keep your cool...*takes a deep breath* Sorry...sorry...I'm sorry Mike, I've failed you and Zoke...**_

_**Mike: What the heck is Zoke?**_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: Heh heh heh. Silly child, he doesn't even know his own ship name! How cute!**_

_**Mike: I know we're supposed to be friends or something…but…you're kind of creeping me out…**_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: What? What's so creepy about shipping you with Zoey?**_

_**Mike: Wait, what's a ship? And what does Zoey have to do with this?**_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: Oh, young grasshopper, I'll tell you next chapter!**_

_**Mike: Chapter…?**_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: *turns to reader* That's right, Mike. To start off every chapter, you and I will have these quirky chats! Sometimes it will give the reader a clue as to what's coming up in the story; sometimes it will be a big WTF. And everything in between…**_

_**Mike: *Sighs* I still have no idea what's going on, but when you have multiple personas, I guess you have to get used to this sort of thing…**_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: Now you're learning! *Hands him a cue card* Now, read this card, word for word.**_

_**Mike: Oh, okay. Ahem. AnyfriendofMike's does not, in any way, own Total Drama or its characters. **_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: Thank you. Now, without further ado, let's start this!**_

Mike's day started out pretty normal. He woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, and headed out. That morning, did he know what fate had in store for him? No, he did not. If he did, he would've stayed home, boarded up the windows, bolted the doors, and curled up in a ball underneath his bed.

The only thing that stood out that day was the fact that his alters had not badgered him to let them out. This, however, was overlooked due to the fact that any day Mike got to himself was his favorite day. Should he have been concerned that Vito was not triggered when he took off his pajama top like he always did before? Yes. But, as stated before, Mike just thought his alters were giving him the day off for once.

Once Mike stepped into his homeroom, the torture began. From what seemed like nowhere, a spitball landed in his messy, stick-uppy hair. When he looked to see who the culprit was, several boys stood up from their desks, pointed at him, and laughed. And sure enough, one of the boys, a boy on the pudgy side, clutched a straw in his fat fist. The group proceeded to high-five while Mike made his way to his desk, eyes downcast. In the seat next to him sat a boy named Charlie, who usually ignored him. Surprisingly, he leaned towards Mike.

"Hey, why don't you punch those idiots in the face?" he suggested with a slight smile.

"Uh...Nah….I'll stay here in the shadows," Mike said, still bewildered that this boy was actually talking to him by choice. It's not like Charlie was particularly nasty to him, it's just that they ran in different paths. In fact, the only class they had together was homeroom, so there was never a need to make friends with this boy.

Charlie scoffed. "But why are you always in the shadows? I'm not dumb, I notice things. And from what I noticed, you always try to make yourself invisible."

Mike shrugged at this. "I like the shadows," he explained. "It's hard to see peoples' differences in the shadows. When it's dark, everyone looks the same, so it's harder to make fun of people."

It seemed Charlie was contemplating this as the last few students filed into the room. Soon after, the bell rang, and class had begun.

"Okay students, if you would please pass your homework to the front. Monica, will you please collect it?"

"Monsters dwell in the shadows," Charlie whispered to Mike among the sounds of binder rings clicking open.

* * *

"He's right, dude," Seth said, his eyes dull with a bored look. "Ever wonder why little kids are afraid of the dark?"

"Hmm, you're right," Mike said. "I don't even know what I meant with all that shadow stuff. What was I even thinking?! Why would I like the shadows? I mean…I feel a bit stupid admitting this, but I'm afraid of my dark side. Why would I go into the shadows, the lion's den?"

"Well maybe it was your dark side talking," his companion said, shoving a French fry into his mouth.

Instantly, Mike's gut twisted with anxiety. How could he forget the pandemonium that occurred only a few years ago, including the incident that sent him to juvie? Even now, with all that craziness years behind him, it still drove a spike of fear into his gut. He was even afraid to speak the alter's name that started it all out loud. _Mal._ The name sent chills down his back. Mal's face lingered amongst his nightmares. Mal's face lingered amongst his deepest fears. Mal's face lingered amongst his late night panic attacks. Luckily, Mike hadn't had a panic attack in a long time. In fact, ever since he met Zoey and Cameron, he felt happier. Life seemed sweeter with nice friends in it. But still, Mike still had a shred of worry in him. He still wasn't sure Mal was gone for good. A few days after clearing his mind of Mal after juvie, he still felt his presence. But why would he stay quiet for so long?

Seth saw the impact his words had on his buddy, so he quickly changed the subject.

"So have you contacted Zoey or Cameron yet?" he asked. This seemed to lift an invisible weight off of Mike's shoulders. In fact, whenever the subject changed to his new friends, he perked up.

"Well, I talked to them on the phone a couple of times. Hopefully I'll be allowed to visit them soon. Maybe on an extended weekend or something like that."

"Hey, that sounds cool. Next time you talk to them, tell 'em I said hi."

Mike chuckled and nodded. "Will do."

"Will do what?" asked a voice behind him. He didn't even need the annoyed look on Seth's face to figure it out. Jordan.

"What do you want?" Mike growled, turning around.

Jordan stepped back, acting as though he was shocked. "Why, I'm hurt! I really am! And here I thought we were friends…"

He and his gang doubled over, as if he'd just told the funniest joke in the world.

"Oh, couldn't say that with a straight face!" he howled.

Mike and Seth, on the other hand, did not find this as amusing. The duo shared bored expressions before throwing away their trash.

"Hey!" Jordan said, coming up behind them. "What's the matter, too good to talk to me?"

"Pretty much," Seth said.

"Well what do you think of my new fighting style?" he asked with a smirk, grasping Seth and Mike's heads and pounding them together.

"Ow!" Seth exclaimed, falling to the floor in pain.

"Ugh, not a whole lot!" Mike groaned, clutching his skull.

Jordan's gang snickered harshly at their agony. In fact, so did the whole cafeteria.

"So freak boy, did ya hear the news? I bet you're pretty happy about it. Maybe you'll make a new loser friend."

"Huh?" Mike must've heard him wrong; his words made no sense.

The bully stared at him in shock for a moment. Then, as if he'd gotten a real treat, started laughing. "Oh God, oh good God!" he said through burst of laughter and tears. "Good God, you mean you don't _know_?! This is too good! Looks like you're the last one to find out! Figures!"

Mike glared at him. "What are you talking about?"

This sent Jordan into another spiral of laughter. "What an idiot! He doesn't even know! Look at this stupid kid! What a loser! Something this big is going on and no one bothered to tell him?!"

"I bet you think you psyche me out by saying really random stuff," Mike said in complete annoyance.

"Gee, I just don't know!" Jordan wept. (1)

"That's it…" Mike muttered, turning on his heel and walking straight out of the cafeteria.

"Hey wait!" Jordan yelled, grabbing Mike's wrist.

The next thing Mike knew, Jordan lay on the floor, blood squirting from his nose, the students in a circle around them chanting words that didn't quite reach Mike's brain into comprehension. He looked at his hands in shock, finding them covered in blood. The front of Mike's shirt was the same way.

"What…?" he managed to say as a hand reached out and tugged him away from the scene. He didn't even know who this person was until they pulled him into the bathroom and handed him a couple of wet paper towels. "Seth?"

"What,-" Seth said, pumping the paper towel dispenser. "The fuck-" he wet the towels. "Was that?!"

"I-I…I don't…I didn't…" Mike stammered, completely disoriented.

"Listen bro, I know this school is full of animals, but you went _ape shit_ on his ass. What even happened? What did he do that made you do that? I mean, all he did was grab your wrist."

"I don't know what happened!" Mike said; his first complete sentence.

"Was it one of your alters?"

"I don't know… I don't think they'd do something like that… Chester couldn't do it… Svetlana doesn't believe in pointless violence… Manitoba would just spit a few curses at him… Vito's the only one with the nerve, but he's terrible at fighting," Mike said, counting his alters off on his fingers.

"Well this makes no sense!" Seth groaned. "Lucky for you, I got you out of there in time. No one, except the students in that circle, saw it was you."

"Doesn't matter," Mike mumbled. "Jordan will probably rat me out anyways."

Seth shook his head. "No way. I've known Jordan long enough to know that you should be afraid. Very afraid. Jordan, being the idiot he is, is gonna take this into his own hands. I think you ought to keep an eye out from this point on. There's no telling what that psycho might do to you."

The bell rang at that time, leaving Mike with little time to respond.

"I think you're being a bit paranoid," he said over his shoulder, walking to class.

Mike's footsteps echoed along the alleyways of his small town. Okay, so maybe taking the route with the dark alleys wasn't the wisest decision, but when have we ever known Mike to be the sharpest tool on the Christmas tree?

"Hello Mike," said a voice from above him. On the fire escape stood Jordan. Crap.

"Oh..h-hello…Nice black eye you've got there…" Mike chuckled uncomfortably.

In Jordan's arms was a white bowl, which he threw down to Mike. "Here, catch."

In the bowl was mashed potatoes. "You hungry? We just ate dinner."

"Oh my God, I would love some mashed potatoes!" Mike said, digging in. In a matter of minutes, the bowl was clean of the white substance. "Got any more?"

Jordan narrowed his eyes. "You seriously want more? What do you want more potatoes for?! Boy, you getting' high; you're startin' to act suspicious!" (2)

"No, I just-" Mike started.

"That's it-" Jordan cut him off, jumping from his perch to the ground. Then he snapped his fingers. From nowhere came his cronies.

"Whoa- how did you do that?" Mike asked.

"Magic," was the answer.

"oh…well…uh…what are you gonna do to me…?"

Jordan smirked. "What are we gonna do? We're gonna get revenge!"

"Revenge?! Really?!" Mike exclaimed.

"You made me look like a fool in front of everyone! What's the matter with you?! It's supposed to be the other way around! _I'm _supposed to make you miserable!" Jordan hollered.

"Look- I'm sorry, okay?!"

"It's too late…" Jordan said, advancing toward his with a raised fist. "Someone has to pay!"

* * *

Dawn sat on the edge of her bed, her heart broken. No tears escaped her eyes, not that she would've felt them. Everything felt numb. She was unprepared for this. She was unprepared to come home to an empty house. She was unprepared to find her father's note, explaining that he had left them and why. She was unprepared to open his closet to find his clothes gone.

She tried to find his energy, but he unreachable. Though her mind stretched across millions of miles to find him, but she couldn't think for the life of her where he could be. Then she decided to pick up the house phone (of which she had never operated in her life) and quickly figured out how to punch in Mike's number.

Yes, she was calling Mike. Sometime after his elimination, they had realized that both their brains worked differently from everyone else's and became fast friends. She was able to give him a little more access into his mind and make peace with his alters. With her help, his alters became less broody and acted more agreeable.

However, Mike was not able to answer the phone. This concerned Dawn, even more so when she felt the presence of a great danger on Mike's end. But, what could she do to help him? Contacting him through the phone obviously would not work. But what else was she to do? Go see him with her own eyes? How? She had a family she had to pull together.

Or did she? She glanced at the awful note on her desk. Now that her father was gone, did she really have a family anymore? Would it really make much of a difference if she too left? Whoa, what was she thinking?! She felt bad enough coming home finding her father had left. How would her mother react to finding both her once loving husband and daughter gone? Could she really do that to her own mother?

Still…her friend was in trouble. She was the only one who knew at the time, it seemed. And her mother would get over it. And it's not like Dawn would be gone forever like her father. As soon as she found out what the trouble was with Mike, she would come back.

Quickly, she wrote a note out to her mother, explaining where she was going. It was hard to proofread for mistakes without crying.

"I promise I won't come back until my friend is safe and sound." She vowed. "Sorry Mom…"

? POV

I woke up in a strange place. I didn't remember how I got here, nor did I remember who exactly I was. But the memories flooded back to me, images from years before that made me come to reality with what was happening. I was finally awake. After years of sleep, I was once again active.

I took a deep breath in through my nose, taking a moment to compose myself. Then, I gazed at my reflection in a nearby puddle of water.

"See that?" I asked giddily. "It's me, Mal. You see that Mike? Finally, I'm free. So much chaos waiting in this town. But it's changed since I last was in control. Faceless nobodies to turn into puppets? What's in it for me? No, I must wait a bit longer…but how long?"

I spotted a nearby poster on the wall of this alley. A deep chuckle escaped my throat. I quickly scanned the paper, still chuckling.

"Perfect…"

It was a flyer for season five of that silly game show Total Drama. I knew from my period of observation on my road to recovery that my host had actually gotten himself a spot in the cast. This flyer read, "We're back! June 18 marks the air date of season five of Total Drama! Watch your favorite characters from Revenge of the Island with a few veterans sprinkled in on Total Drama; Back for More!"

"Perfect…" I repeated in a more devious tone. "June 18th…that's not too far from now. Yes…I shall conserve my energy and let Mikey take the wheel until then. After that, I will make the ones Mike cares about the most suffer for what he's done to me. That Jordan character was right. Someone has to pay."

Mike woke up in his bed, gasping at the vivid nightmare he was having. The vision he got upon his awakening brought a large smile to his face.

"Zoey!" he exclaimed. From the foot of his bed the redhead turned her head toward him with a matching smile.

"Hello there, sleepyhead," she giggled.

"How did you- when did you-how-what-" he stuttered.

"I got here as soon as I got the call. You were found in an alley muttering to yourself. I felt it was my duty to come see you. Cam's here too, but right now he's out with your mom. She's bringing him to the grocery store. He's never been to one before," Zoey explained.

"Wait-so you met my mom? And you're still here?"

"Oh come on, she's not that bad!"

Mike smirked at her. "Did she show you my baby pictures?"

"Maaaaaaaaaybe…."

The two shared a laugh. After a while, Zoey gave him a confused look.

"Uh- hello? Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"You were staring at me."

He quickly looked away, a blush covering his cheeks. "Sorry. It's just…I…I'm glad you're here…It was hell without you…The people here are so vile…It was pretty rough without someone like you with me…"

His girlfriend giggled. "It's okay Mike. I'm here now. And I'm gonna be here for a while. I promise, I'm not gonna leave your side until you feel better."

Mike pondered this. "Well…in that case…I don't think I'm gonna feel better anytime soon."

_**Whew, 3,027 words. For me, that's a lot. I usually start half-assing it around word 1,900. **_

_**References-**_

_**Mike and Jordan's lines come from the conversation between Sora and Xigbar in Kingdom Hearts 2 in Hollow Bastion. By the way, when Xigbar was all like, 'That's right, he used to give me that exact same look!', wasn't he talking about Ventus, not Roxas? I know there's been a big debate about this, but I don't remember Roxas giving him any "look". I do remember Ventus glaring at him or something in Birth by Sleep, so maybe that's what he meant. Oh well.**_

_**A great line from Everybody hates Chris. I love that show! I remember when I was in fifth grade, y'know, back when my friends weren't jackwads who secretly hated me, I watched that show every night when it came on! And this girl, Alyssa, would always reference it with me! Ah, good times…**_

_**Well, that's it. I have school in the morning, so it's time for some shut eye. Peace out and fuck the blue sun!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Dawn Befriends Men In a Bar

_**AnyfriendofMike's: So Mike, what are your thoughts on Scott?**_

_**Mike: Scott? Well…I don't especially like him, but maybe laughing at his robotic state was a little harsh…**_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: …go on**_

_**Mike: And I guess if he hadn't hit me with that club, I wouldn't have had the courage to stand up to my alters and tell Zoey the truth**_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: Well there ya have it! So, Mike, please recite the disclaimer**_

_**Mike: AnyfriendofMike's does not, in any way, own Total Drama or its characters**_

_**AnyfriendofMike's: Thank you. Now without further ado, here's chapter three**_

"_Oh my God, I am sooooo bored…." _Scott thought to himself _"How long am I gonna be in this stupid chair?"_

In front of him were his cousins, running around playing some weird game.

"C'mon Piper, you've gotta be faster than that!" teased one cousin.

"Ja-a-ack, no fair, you're two years older than me!" Piper whined.

"_How do I smell right now?" _Scott wondered for the sake of getting his mind off of his own self-pity. _"Like, when I get out of this chair, will I smell like sweat? Maybe metal. Or both. Yeah, both would make sense. What are those losers from the island doing right now? Wait, why do I care? Oh well. Mike, Zoey, and Cameron are probably being losers with each other. Yawn. Anne Maria is probably watching one of those trashy reality shows like Jersey Shore. How is that show still running? I mean, is anyone really even watching? Let's see…Lightning is probably annoying the living crap out of everyone with that whole "sha-bam" thing. Guy's weird, but I guess he's alright. Sam and Dakota are probably having weird human-mutant sex. So gross! Is that even legal? Then again, why would you want to have sex with a mutant…? Well, I think I saw something about McLean fucking a plant, so…? __**(1) **__Whatever. Now, what about Dawn? Probably meditating or 'saving Mother Earth'. Yeah, I think she's what one would call a hippie. I really don't care what Staci's doing. Jo and Brick…? Most likely making out with each other. I mean, with the way they bickered on the show, I'm not sure how they could make it more obvious that they're madly in love with each other! If not that, Brick's maybe at that gay fashion school of his and Jo's probably slamming those fists of hers into a punching bag with McLean's face taped to it. Good for her! And B's probably working on some machine or invention. Nerd. Man, I am so bored! Maybe I shouldn't have gone behind everyone's' backs… Pft, yeah right. Even though being in this chair is pure torture, it was totally worth it. Still….maybe things would've been different…"_

* * *

Dawn sighed and urged her feet to keep moving.

"This might not have been the wisest decision…" She mumbled to herself, trudging along the dirt road.

She had been walking for days, spending her nights in the woods, kindly persuading a few animals to find her some food. True, it might have been a selfish act, but she hoped Mother Earth would forgive her. After all, the Great Mother might even find it as a good thing that all her children were getting along.

"I hope Mike is alright," she said aloud. "Hopefully this slow pace won't make me too late…" At this thought, Dawn immediately sped up. She would not- no- she COULD not let her friend fall into the clutches of such evil.

Hours later, she had stumbled across a small town. Two small children with vivid orange hair and blue overalls bounded past her, laughing among themselves.

She smiled to herself. Those kids kind of looked like what she pictured a younger Scott would look like. They had the same crooked, mischievous grin Scott usually wore. Their knees were covered in dirt; smudges rubbed on their cheeks.

As the little ones disappeared from her sight, she suddenly realized that she had no idea where she was. What town was this? She decided to enter a small, run down bar to find out.

Inside the bar, men were all talking and laughing. A clacking from the far end suggested a few men were shooting pool. At one table, two were chugging their drinks down as their friends cheered them on. However, as she entered, all the commotion died down. All eyes were on her. Her face was flushed as she moved towards to the counter.

"Uh…." She squeaked. "C-Can you tell me what town this is…?"

"Oh no! Looks like a little rat just scampered in! Looks like I'll have to kill it with my boot!" A voice with a thick country accent spoke. At once, the bar erupted in a roaring laughter. Dawn looked to find the source, and found a burly man wearing what looked like a…cowboy outfit..? Well, he had the cowboy boots, the plaid shirt and bandana combo, the oversized belt, and…oh sweet mother, he even had the ten gallon hat.

Dawn scooted over to place her tiny hand on his forearm.

"But didn't your mother get upset if you messed up your boots killing rats?"

He looked bewildered. "What?!"

She nodded. "Yes. You miss your mother, who hated it when you stomped on rats, and other small animals, really. But more than that, you miss the way she would sing you to sleep, and bake you cookies when you got upset, and accepted you for who you were."

"Th-that's not true…! M-My momma never sang me to sleep…or…or baked me cookies…or…or…or accepted me for who I was…!" The man broke down crying. "But my daddy did!"

"Ah. Your dad. I sensed it was a parent, but I just assumed it was your mother," Dawn said gently.

The man looked up from his tears. "B-But…but how did you know all th-those things…?"

"It was all there in your aura," she replied simply. "Your aura's color suggested you missed someone, and from there I dug deeper to find out more."

"So, you can read minds?" asked a wide eyed customer to her right.

"Minds? No," she chuckled. "But I can't exactly explain it. It just happens. Like you, for example, your aura is shining because you just got a girl's phone number."

"Hey, it's true!"

"However," she continued. "You have a bit of doubt because the last few times you got a girl's number; they turned out to be in relationships already."

"Whoa, how did you know that?!" asked his buddy.

"Auras can reveal quite a bit."

For the next hour or so, she read everyone's auras, impressing each person with her knowledge.

"Hey…wait a minute…" the bartender, Burt, said after a while. "Do I know you from somewhere…?"

"Oh?" she asked, her interest peaked.

"Yeah," someone agreed. "I think I've seen her before. Like in a book…or…a TV show!"

Burt smacked the countertop. "That's it! She's from that TV program 'Totally Dramatic' or something!"

"'Total Drama'," she corrected him.

"That's right! Didn't you get voted off by that Scott Reed fella?" Burt inquired.

"Scott Reed?" she asked blankly. "I didn't know Scott's last name was Reed… How did you know that?"

"Come on now, you're a smart little lady," Burt winked. "Put it together. This town is crawling with southern folk and our main industry is farming."

"Southern folk and farming…?" Dawn mumbled. "…wait…oh! Scott lives here!"

"Well, yes and no," the cowboy from earlier laughed.

"Pardon?"

Burt got out a rag and began cleaning the counter. "He's more like a scrap of metal right about now. Yep, ever since that Fang roughed him up, he's just a head on a cart."

"Oh really? That's too bad…" Dawn muttered. "But it serves him right…Voting me and all those people off the island…"

"Now hold on now," Burt said. "Ol' Scotty was just raised that way."

"Little tyke," a voice snickered. "I remember him and his pappy round here at all hours of the day. Those two were as close as they come. Those two always off somewhere, maybe shootin' kitchen rats, maybe even down by the pier. But ever since the boy got back home, I haven't seen much of his pappy, and not a hide nor hair of Scotty. Poor kid."

"I see…" Dawn mumbled. "I wish there was something I could do…"

"That I do not know…but if there's ever something we can help you with, just give us a call. You're one of us now," Burt teased her. Then, he reached down and tousled her blonde hair. In response, she beamed at everyone around her.

"Thank you, Burt. I'll never forget you guys."

Even after she exited the bar, her mind was spinning with thoughts of that redheaded maniac. As the sun bore its rays down on her, she traveled along the dirt path. Everyone was starting to look like him. The man sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of a small, beat up looking house. The children wrestling with the hogs. The teenager leaning against the barn. Even that weird trashcan looking thing looked like Scott! Wait a second…

"S-Scott?!" Dawn exclaimed, staring at his poor state. The wounds on his face had healed…somewhat. There were still scratches, but they were overpowered by the sight of the dried mud coating his cheeks. "How did you get mud on your cheeks…?"

"_Mind your own business hippie!"_

"Whoa! Wait…did you just call me a hippie? That's not very nice…"

"_Hold on…you can hear me? For real?! Whoa, freaky, huh?"_

"I suppose…but this isn't the first time something like this has happened. I communicate with animals all the time, so I suppose it makes sense I can read your thoughts," Dawn speculated.

Scott wheeled the chair away from her.

"_Well don't get comfortable! Besides, what are you doing here?! Who said you could come around my farm? Y'know, I'm pretty sure that's trespassing! Just…Just go away, won't you?!"_

A strange sense of embarrassment settled in Dawn's gut. "I….I….What did I ever do to you?!" she blurted out.

"_Huh…?"_

"Why do you…why do you push everyone away?"

"_Pft, you don't know what you're talking about. I don't push people away…"_

"Yeah you do. You only care about yourself. On the island, you acted so selfish! And those men down at the bar said you never leave the farm! Probably pouting, huh?"

"_Just shut up! You know, it's not my fault this happened!"_

"Oh please! If it's not your fault, then whose is it? You brought this upon yourself!" Dawn accused him, feeling liberated to be as harsh as she could.

"_No you don't understand…I wanted to win so badly…but I guess I went about it the wrong way, huh?"_

"I understand we're talking about a million dollars here, but why did you go so crazy?"

"_Are you stupid?! Look around! It's not like my family has money to spare! And now that I'm in this damn chair, we're more in debt than ever! Pappy couldn't even pay for my medical bills, so he's working 24/7 to get me back to normal! And if you ask me…Pappy's not exactly at the peak of health either! But here you are, trying to nose your way into other people's business! Well you know what?! Just get out of here! Go! I don't care if I never see you again! In fact, that sounds ideal, especially since I l- Ugh, nevermind…"_

Dawn cocked her head. "What were you going to say…?"

"…"

"Scott?"

"…_Just scram…"_

**References (I actually didn't use many of them)**

**1) Do I have to explain? Oh BTW, if you haven't seen TDAS yet….Sorry for the spoilers…**

**Alright! Until next time, peace out and fuck the blue sun!**


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